G.P Power & Sovereignty

Power

Power

Ability to change attitudes and behaviours of state and non-state actors

Offensive Realism

States are disposed to conflict & competition because they are power maximising, self-interested, and fearful of other states when the need for security arrises

• John Mearsheimer

Antonio Gramsci

Power exercised through coercion & consensus eg. cultural hegemony

• Marxist theory of power

Steven Lukes - Dimensions of Power

Power = multidimensional

1st Dimension: MAKING DECISIONS

• Power = direct & observable

• Person of power comes out on top

• Ability to change and influence behaviour

• Eg. Gov making rules & citizens following

2nd Dimension: AGENDA

• Setting & shaping agenda leading to decisions being made

• “Behind closed doors”, not sure who is running the agenda

• Causing suspicion, coercion, corruption, dishonestly (lack of transparency)

• Achieved through: influence, persuasion, coercion, force, manipulation

• Eg. Smart Power —> 2015 Iran Deal

3rd Dimension: IDEOLOGICAL / MANIPULATION

• People w/ power = manipulate beliefs, values & perceptions

• People develop biassed perspectives & accept decisions w/o hesitation or nuance

• Eg. Indoctrination of North Korea / Russian or Israeli populations during war

Hard Power

Use of forceful or coercive means by state / non-state actors to influence, control, or achieve their motives and gain power against other political actors

• Achieve immediate results

• Traditional / primary notion of power

• Asserts dominance and draws more power / recognition

• Escalate conflicts

• Changing global political dynamic —> growing globalisation & interdependency = less use of immediate hard power or military power

What are some types of hard power?

• Economic power

• Military Power

• Cyber power

What is military power?

Use / threat of military force ie. deployment of armed forces or weapons and military capabilities to intimidate, defend of achieve specific political goals and gain power over other state / non-state actors.

What is economic power?

Use of economic resources ie. trade, aid, sanctions, embargoes, investments e.t.c. to influence other political actors.

• Economic incentives / punishments to gain leverage, promote national or regional interests, or exert control over economic policies of other countries

What is soft power?

To influence other state / non-state actors through coercive means ie. cultural influence, diplomatic efforts, and normative frameworks.

• Ability to attract and influence others based on attractiveness of countries policies, cultural significance, ideals & values

• 3 main channels:

  • Cultural

  • Political: democratic, good human rights, good policies, rule of law

  • Foreign Policy: cooperation, diplomacy

Why have interstate wars decreased globally?

• Change to democracy 

• Globalisation,

  • Cheaper and efficient to buy goods from other countries instead of fighting for them

  • Growing interdependency in foreign policy between countries

• Rules / Treaties declaring acts of aggression as ‘illegal’

• International courts + UN [provides sense of accountability]

• Borders are mostly fixed now

Why will war not be erradicated?

• Differences in beliefs

• Growing tensions with increasing number of intrastate wars - increasingly realist political climate

• Social power structure between countries 

• Different rulings = different means and priorities

• Not possible to achieve full demilitarisation

  • WW1 as example: gives rise to terrorist groups + countries need to defend themselves  

• Type of war can change, but war will not eradicate

• Eg. Switzerland & Sweden joining NATO & Japan increasing military

Realism

Anarchical, traditional school of thought in global politics that prioritises states interests and self-sufficiency whilst denouncing interdependence

1. STATISM - states most important actors in global politics

   1. “Life without central government = nasty, brutish and short” - Hobbes

2. SURVIVAL

3. SELF-HELP - self-sufficiency

• Danger of war always lurking in the background => only JUST war is one that promotes national interest

Who are some classical realists?

• Hobbes

• Machiavelli

• Thucydides

What is anarchy (realism)?

A state of disorder

• Absence of higher authority / supereme power, outside it’s own borders the state acts in anarchy

• States must, and do, pursue power

What is the democratic peace theory? (LIBERALISM)

Democracies are unlikely to engage in conflict with other democracies 

What is collective security? (LIBERALISM)

Security arrangement, where states in an alliance agree that security is a concern for all

• Conflict affecting one state in an alliance, triggers collective response

What is Collective Action?

Actions taken by states to combat issues regarding mutual interest instead of zero sum politics

What is Free Trade?

System of trade between states not restricted by protectionism

What is interdependence in global politics?

Groups of global political actors stay reliant on one another, as they have shared interests / impact on one another, and mutual connectedness and dependence

What is liberalism?

International World Order is a web of interconnected political systems of state and non-state actors

What are the rules of classical liberalism?

• Believe & recognise states are not the only state actors

  • MNCs, NGOs, IGOs

• Systems are interconnected via globalisation

  • Trade, Finance, Travel, Culture

  • Links = not all equal (growing inequality, dependence, vulnerability)

  • State & non-state actors = interconnected

• Only JUST war is for human rights (moralists)

*CRITICISM: More interconnected world = borders becoming more permeable (threatening sovereignty)

&

World restoring to a more realist climate with Brexit, prioritising state security & interests w/ growing military

What is the relationship between liberalism and democracy?

Democracies make it legal for citizens to hold their governments accountable and up for criticism, and the liberal theory suggests the effects of complex interdependence will be more evident in a democratic world

• eg. Even if leaders recognise security threats and want to employ conflictual means, they often face resistance from public or powerful interest groups

  • Multiple channels of non-state actors constrain states

Why are democracies less likely to go to war?

Democratic peace theory = Democracies less likely to go to war against each other, and trust each other due to shared ideas, beliefs, norms and values.

• Institutional logic: democratic leaders tend to listen to citizens

• More democracies adopt free markets = more international trade = more interdependence = less likely to declare war

• War makes everyone worse off

• Emmanuel Kant - “Perpetual Peace” (1795)

  • Democratic Peace Theory

  • Advocated for cosmopolitan law & international governing body

  • Republican / democratic governments inherently more peaceful

What is the Monadic Theory?

Democracies more peaceful and less likely to go to war with any type of state

What is the Dyadic Theory?

Democracies are peaceful with one another and likely to fight with other non-democracies

What is the Systemic Theory?

International system = more peaceful with increase of democratic state 

• Justifies democratic hegemon: US spreading democracy / democratic values around the world (“democratic colonisation”

What is Multilateralism?

Liberalistic approach that involves cooperation and participation of multiple actors / states, and based on principles of collective action & shared responsibilities to find mutually acceptable solutions

• Engage in formal / informal institutions eg. UN

• Negotiate, address common policies & problems

• Aims: promote dialogue, pooling resources, consensus-building, achieve common goals, foster stability & pursue shared interests

What is Unilateralism?

Realist approach involving independent decision making and taking action based on states interests, without much regard on the broader impact to international community.

• Unilateral military interventions, trade protectionism, withdrawal from international agreements / organisations, imposition of unilateral sanctions

• Prioritises national sovereignty & autonomy

What is a multipolar world?

Power evenly distributed amongst many countries

What is a bipolar world?

Concentration of power focused between two countries / regions eg. Cold War

What is a unipolar world?

Concentration of power focused on one main country

What is state sovereignty?

A state’s ability to rule itself, thought of as internal and external

What is internal sovereignty?

States governing themselves independently

• Eg. enforcing their own laws, doing their taxes

What is external sovereignty?

How states act externally with other states & international organisations

How is International Law a component to global governance?

International law established through treaties, conventions eg. Geneva Treaty

Effectiveness	Challenges
Common Values / economic systems	Does not include all powerful nations
Groups states together that operate on similar basis eg. systems, values, ideologies	Power only limited to countries involved
Eg. G7 = western leaning Capitalist countries 5 EYES = Anglo Countries	Eg. China, India, Thailand e.t.c.

How are Summits a component to global governance?

Summits / meetings to come up with solutions on pressing global issues

Effectiveness	Challenges
Liberalist perspective	Realist Perspective: collective action is not main priority, state security is (eliminating future threats)
Global governance = key priority as it allows states to address and solve pressing common issues	Realist Perspective: Self-interest of states prevent the informal forum to come up with tangible solutions
Eg. Paris Agreement, COP27

How is collective security a component of global governance?

Countries are able to protect hard power more when part of an alliance (collective power)

• Motive = realist

• Method = liberalist

Effectiveness	Challenges
Growth of IGOs & getting countries to cooperate with one another = proves importance of global governance as more states want to join	May not exercise power they hold due to escalation of conflict
Eg. Palestine wanting to become full UN member Eg. Switzerland joining NATO & Ukraine wanting to join	Powerful states in IGOs may have more of a say over other countries
	Eg. US abusing veto in UN Security Council over Israel-Gaza Matters Eg. NATO = US power

How is trade & economic cooperation a component of global governance?

How? Trade agreements, tariffs, regulations e.t.c. Eg. European Trade Community

Effectiveness
Alliances on trade barriers / sanctions e.t.c. against states that may be threatening peace and global security.
Effectiveness? Short & long term effects of sanctions on Russia
Eg. Sanctions against Russia for invading Ukraine by EU states, UK, US, Japan e.t.c.